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Synonym Chooser

How is the word sly distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of sly are artful, crafty, cunning, foxy, slick, tricky, and wily. While all these words mean "attaining or seeking to attain one's ends by guileful or devious means," sly implies furtiveness, lack of candor, and skill in concealing one's aims and methods.

a sly corporate raider

Where would artful be a reasonable alternative to sly?

The words artful and sly are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, artful implies indirectness in dealing and often connotes sophistication or cleverness.

elicited the information by artful questioning

When could crafty be used to replace sly?

While in some cases nearly identical to sly, crafty implies cleverness and subtlety of method.

a crafty lefthander

In what contexts can cunning take the place of sly?

While the synonyms cunning and sly are close in meaning, cunning suggests the inventive use of sometimes limited intelligence in overreaching or circumventing.

the cunning fox avoided the trap

When is it sensible to use foxy instead of sly?

The synonyms foxy and sly are sometimes interchangeable, but foxy implies a shrewd and wary craftiness usually involving devious dealing.

a foxy publicity man planting stories

When is slick a more appropriate choice than sly?

In some situations, the words slick and sly are roughly equivalent. However, slick emphasizes smoothness and guile.

slick operators selling time-sharing

When might tricky be a better fit than sly?

Although the words tricky and sly have much in common, tricky is more likely to suggest shiftiness and unreliability than skill in deception and maneuvering.

a tricky political operative

When would wily be a good substitute for sly?

The meanings of wily and sly largely overlap; however, wily implies skill and deception in maneuvering.

the wily fugitive escaped the posse

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sly The actress was making a sly reference to her 1984 thriller Firestarter. Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025 Solnicki has created a sly and slippery kind of film that, much like its leading actor’s grin, is hilarious and devastating in equal measure. Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 28 Sep. 2025 Still, Omerzu’s touch is light, ironic and gently amused, a little reminiscent of François Ozon, who has a similar facility with twisty sly comedy-drama grounded in pain. Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025 Her voice in the essays is sly and irreverent, knowing and persuasive—all qualities that endeared her to readers, despite her often excessively Manichean tone. Anderson Tepper, The Atlantic, 8 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sly
Adjective
  • Norris portrays the cunning and relentless Chief Dennison, with Tripp as Liz Bradley, a border patrol agent with a true-north moral compass, in her first major film role.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Maigret must outwit some of Paris’s most cunning and violent criminals, while dealing with his own troubled past.
    Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Trim low limbs on evergreen trees and shrubs to allow more sunlight in shady areas.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Riders will queue up in an expansive (and thankfully shady) warehouse structure that resembles garages seen in the films.
    Tom Tapp, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Orsoni has salt-and-pepper hair and an exaggerated, slightly mischievous energy.
    Aislyn Greene, AFAR Media, 15 Oct. 2025
  • The trailer hints at a lavish production, with Sharpe playing a mischievous Mozart, bounding through a stately home and jumping to reach a chandelier.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • There are also two new delightfully cute additions to the collection — a shiny gold pair that would look radiant on warm-tone complexions and a pair that’s as stylishly macabre as the others, only smaller in size.
    Alyssa Grabinski, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
  • The songs remind kids that costumes can be cute and colorful instead of frightening.
    Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • While consumers are used to companies tacking on sneaky fees, the newest generation of bill increases are coming from government taxation, generally local or state.
    Kevin Williams, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2025
  • But their sneaky Game 3 strategy was to let Aaron Nola start and twirl a couple of innings, then wave for Suárez in the third inning.
    Jayson Stark, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Felt wings and ears secured with toothpicks transform petite pumpkins into wicked-cute bats.
    Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Oct. 2025
  • There's something wicked about building horror movies around toys, dolls, and other kid-friendly touchstones; they're bound to entice (and potentially scar) curious young audiences more than usual.
    Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Though the Lions’ offensive linemen do an excellent job of selling run on play-action passes, there’s still a subtle difference to note early between run blocking and pass blocking.
    Jesse Newell, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
  • There’s subtle tang from the sour cream and cream cheese.
    Jasmine Smith, Southern Living, 11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Then there was a furtive crunch, crunch, crunch of footsteps.
    Bob Cary, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2025
  • After an unintended encounter with a furtive woman (Gitte Witt) in cabin 10, the one next to Lo’s, the reporter hears a violent scuffle through the walls, followed by a splash.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sly. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

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